Freight-bar



T. T. PROSSER.

Freight-Car.

No 224,726. Patented Feb. I7, 1880.-

N. FEI'ERS, FHOTO-L|THOGRA HER. WASHINGTON. 'D. C.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TREAT T. PROSSER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FREIGHT-(CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 224,726, dated February 17, I880,

Application filed November 26, 1879.

' To all whom it may concern:

My. invention consists of the combination,

with each such cylindrical receptacle, of one or more hoppers to automatically feed grain into said receptacle as fast as the grain therein packs under the rolling and shaking motion of the running car, so as to keep the receptacle filled to its utmost capacity from the beginning to the end of the trip, to prevent the undue shifting and agitation of the grain which results where no provision is made for compensating for the inevitable packing of the grain when the car is running.

My invention also consists in perforating the shell of the receptacle to provide for a continuous circulation of air through the grain,

the air entering through the hopper and assisting the entrance of the grain to compensate for the packing of that in the receptacle.

It further consists in .surmotintin g the rolling grain-receptacles by a fixed platform, serviceable to protect the said receptacles from wind and weather, as well as to carry back freight that cannot be loaded in bulk.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of my improved freight-car, part of the platform being broken away to expose one of the rolling receptacles underneath. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig.3 is a section in a vertical plane indicated by linear 00, Fig. l.

The sameletters of reference indicate identical parts in all the figures.

The car illustrated consists of two rolling receptacles, A A, connected by journals to suitable hearings on the side sills of a stout rectangular frame, B, by which they are drawn,

the end sills of the frame being provided with suitable draw heads for that purpose. The receptacles are made preferably of stout sheetform resembling that of the rim of an ordinary car-wheel, by which rings they are supported upon the track, so that the load will bear down directly on the track and not on the journals of the cylinders or receptacles. These journals A are made hollow, and protrude through the bearings of the frame B, so as to communicate with the bottom or spout of fixed hoppers D D, one of which is mounted over the end of each hollow journal on frame B.

The hoppers are made of quite considerable capacity, so that they may carry grain in sufficient quantities to feed into the rolling re- -ceptacles as long as the grain therein continues to pack, so as to keep the receptacles tilled full up all the time. Of course the receptacles must be filled originally as solidly full as possible; but under the constant shaking and pounding resulting from propelling them over the track the grain is bound to pack,so that very soon after starting a vacancy would be formed in the receptacles if no provision were made to compensate for the packing of the grain by feeding in more grain as fast as needed. This is a matter of great importance. If avacancy were allowed to be formed in the receptacles, the grain would constantly shift therein, by reason of which the smooth running of the car would be greatly interfered with, resulting in extraordinary wear and tear,

besides endangering the healthy condition of the grain by the generation of too much friction and heat. Ifeed the compensating grain to the center of the receptacles because, by reason of the centrifugal force developed by the rotation of the receptacles, the tendency to a vacancy will be along the center.

To assist and urge the grain to pass from the hoppers into the receptacles, as well as to create a circulation of fresh air through the grain, I perforate the shell of the receptacles with numerous small holes, as shown at a, Fig. 1. In consequence of the rotation of the receptacles, air-currents will be drawn in at the center through the hoppers and hollow journals and discharged through the holes at, creating sufficient draft to keep the grain in a cool and healthy condition, and tending to IOC urge the grain from the hoppers into the receptacles to compensate for the packing. The hoppers should be so covered as to protect the grain therein from wind and weather, while air can enter them freely.

The frame B supports a platform, E, above the grain-receptacles, which serves to protect the latter, and constitutes a means for carrying freight that cannot be transported in a rolling receptacle. Thus the car may carry grain from the interior to the seaboard, and take back on its platform such wares or commodities as are usually transported upon a platform-ear.

The grain-receptacles may be filled through doors in their sides, in which case, when they are under a platform, suitable trap doors should be formed in said platform. They are emptied either through such side doors or through man-holes in their heads.

Of course the hoppers may be replenished atany time if they do not contain enough grain to provide for any unusual packing of the grain in the receptacle.

For the purpose of still further assisting the feed from the hoppers into the rolling grainreceptac1es,a screw-conveyor, F, may be inserted in each hollowjournal or trunnion of such receptacle, the conveyer being held stationary therein, and the rotation of the hollow journal around it effecting the screw feed. The conveyers are rights and lefts, and should be removable, so that they may be interchanged, to provide for shifting them from the right to the left journal, and vice versa, to correspond with the direction of motion of the car.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a freight-car for transporting grain, the combination, substantially as specified, of the rolling grain-receptacle and a fixed hopper or hoppers adapted to feed grain into the receptacle while the car is running, to compensate for packing, so as to keep the receptacle filled to its fullest capacity.

2. In a freight-car for transporting grain, the rolling grain-receptacle having hollow journals and perforations in its shell, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a freight-car for transporting grain, the combination, substantially as-specified, of the rolling grain -receptacle having perforations in its shell, the hollow journals thereof, and the fixed hopper or hoppers adapted to feed grain into the receptacles while the car is running.

4. In a freight-car, the combination, sub stantially as specified, of the rolling grain receptacle or receptacles, the frame for drawing them, and the platform supported on the frame above the receptacles.

5. In a freight-car for transporting grain,

the combination, substantially as specified, of

the rolling grain-receptacle, the hollow journals thereof, the screw-oonveyers in the journals, and the hoppers.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

TREAT T. PROSSER.

Witnesses:

H. H. HONORE, J12, HENRY WALLER, Jr. 

